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Born a peasant and was to become Joan of Arc, France's national heroine. Born and baptized in 1412 in the village of Domremy in eastern France. (Nichol 1).
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Henry the Navigator, the prince of Portugal, embarked on an expedition to Africa. This marked the beginning of Portuguese dominance of West Africa. (www.biography.com).
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Prince Henry the Navigator gathered cartographers, navigators and shipbuilders in a fortress in Sagres, Portugal, to invent navigation technology to reach India, China and the Americas. He later sailed south of the Canary Islands to the great eastward curve of West Africa at Sierra Leone. (www.u-s-history.com).
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Jews were expelled from Styria, Austria. 12 days later Jews of Austria were imprisoned and expelled and thirty-two men and 120 women who refused baptism were brought to Vienna and were burned alive. (www.haaretz.com).
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In the summer of 1425, Joan first came conscious of her ¨voices¨ or her ¨counsel¨. Later on she clearly discerned in some way the appearance of those who spoke to her, recognizing them individually as St. Michael, St. Margaret, St. Catherine, and others. She had visions where she heard the voice of God telling her to drive the English out of France and to take the Dauphin Charles to Reims for his coronation. (http://www.intervoiceonline.org).
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Hubert van Eyck began work on “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,” later known as the Ghent Altarpiece. The 12-panel work was completed in 1432 by his younger brother Jan van Eyck. It was the first major oil painting in history. (http://www.timelinesdb.com).
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King Alfonso V ordered Sicily's Jews to convert to Catholicism and ordered Sicily's Jews to attend conversion sermons. Local christians burned down the synagogue and began attacking Jews. The Bishop offered the Jews a choice baptism or exile, he reported that 500 Jews accepted conversion. The rest fled, mostly to Marseilles. (http://thisdayinjewishhistory.blogspot.com).
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The conference at Luck began. Vytautas hosted a grand Congress at Luck ostensibly to unite the region against threats from the Turks to the south. Emperor Sigismund of Hungary agreed to the formation of the Kingdom of Lithuania and dispatched a crown from Hungary. (link.springer.com).
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Joan went to Vaucouleurs a second time and asked Robert de Baudricourt to let her join the Dauphin. She was accepted after she revealed details about the French defeat in the battle of the Herrings at Orleans before official messengers arrived with the same information. A little later Joan dressed in men’s clothing and began the journey to meet Charles at Chinon. (www.history.com).
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When Joan reached Chinon, she had an audience with the Dauphin Charles and asked to be allowed to help fight the English. Her manner, confidence and conviction persuaded the Dauphin that she genuinely had God on her side and she informed him of her divine mission. Late March Joan sent a letter to the English demanding that they leave France. (www.history.com).
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Early April, Joan was given command of a small armed force. She was presented with a suit of armour and a banner. Joan declared that a sword was waiting for her in the church of Saint Catherine de Fierbois, it was found in the place she described and brought to her. On April 27, Joan and her troops marched to relieve French forces at the siege of Orleans. (www.history.com).
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In 1429, Joan led the french army into battle against and English fort that blocked the road to Orleans. The English had been besieging the city for over six months. The siege of Orleans was broken and she guided the french onto the path of victory. (Littell 360-361).
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Joan and her family were made members of the French nobility. She was resident at the court of Charles VII. Joan left the court of Charles to join the French army at Lagny. Mid April Joan liberated the town of Melun. Joan of Arc marched to relieve the siege of Compiegne. (www.history.com).
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In 1430, she was captured in battle by the Burgundians, England's allies. They turned her over to the English. The English, in turn, handled her over to church authorities to stand trial. Although the French king Charles VII owed his crown to Joan, he did nothing to rescue her. (Littell 361).
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Condemned as a witch and a heretic because of her claim to hear voices. Joan was tied to a stake and burned to death on May 30, 1431. (Littell 361).
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Joan's mission now seems entirely valid in larger spiritual terms and something of a model for modern movements of popular resistance to colonial imperialism. Pope Benedict XV makes Joan of Arc a saint. (Pernoud 4).
